Painful Truth
by botan-chan
Summary: Eiji kikumaru is failing his science class despite Oishi and Fuji's help. He is forced to go to a teacher and get private tutoring; everything works perfectly fine, until a murderer breaks out of prison and hunts the school grounds [GP;RyoXMom]
1. Challenge

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis; they're owned by their respectful owner, Takeshi Konomi. Author's notes: Please read and enjoy. If you don't like it, kindly leave comments as to why not and what needs to be further fixed Arigatou gozaimasu.  
  
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"You are on the verge of failing your science class."  
  
A small nod.  
  
"What exactly are you getting in it?"  
  
"An average D..."  
  
"... If you fail it, you will become ineligible for extra curricular activities such as clubs, sports, etc. That means you won't be allowed to stay in the boy's tennis team if this continues on any further. Do you understand?"  
  
Another small nod.  
  
The principal sighed while looking at the student before him with sympathy in his eyes. He had been working hard, he knew, but this is just unacceptable. He understand that he had been busy preparing for the upcoming Nationals and he was darn proud of him, but what matters more are his grades.  
  
"Kikumaru, Eiji, may I suggest tutoring?" he offered.  
  
Eiji looked up, his eyes a little watery and his face flushed slightly. "Tutoring? I've been getting tutoring."  
  
The principal tilted his head to the side in a questioning manner. "Oh? From who?"  
  
"Oishi and Fuji. They're really smart. I guess it's just that I'm really slow and dumb, nya..."  
  
The principal smiled and murmured, "Don't say that. You're a very bright kid; you're just not getting what you really need. I believe Shuuichiro and Syusuke wish the best for you, but friends tend to be a little forgiving on their end of it, am I right? Do they not let you slack off a little bit?"  
  
"...Hai."  
  
"Then I suggest getting a tutoring from a real science teacher. I'm sure Sagashi-sensei won't mind having you as a private student. I am telling you this with the best intent in heart. I don't want you to leave something you really love. You love tennis?" he questioned the student. He was answered with a more vigorous nod. "Then please do what I ask of you."  
  
Eiji's face brightened up. "Hai! Arigato gozaimasu!" he bowed down. "I will try my best and do better, nya!" he exclaimed, happy that his Kouchou-sensei had somehow found a way for him to stay in his beloved sport.  
  
"Why won't you go ahead and head on to practice? Tell Kunimitsu that I am sorry for keeping you in my office." He paused to recollect his thoughts, "Make you that you come by Sagashi-sensei's room later and inform him of your predicament. Understood?"  
  
"Hai!"  
  
=:=  
  
"Is everything alright, Eiji?" asked the Seigaku tensai, Syusuke Fuji, to his adorable, auburn-haired friend. The wind blew his bangs over his closed, smiling eyes that rarely opened up to reveal lovely blue orbs.  
  
"Hai, hai. Kouchou-sensei talked to me about science class. I'm failing it... and he said if I get a fail on the next grading period, I will become ineligible for the team—but it's ok though!" Kikumaru said hurriedly, noticing the look on his friend's face: horror. "It's ok, he found a way. I'm going to get tutoring, nya."  
  
"Aa..."  
  
"Seriously, Fuji! It's alright! Nyahahaha! Don't worry about it."  
  
"Eiji-senpai!"  
  
Both Eiji and Fuji turned around at the sound of the voice. Momoshiro Takeshi.  
  
"Hoi Momo, what's up?"  
  
Momoshiro ran up to them and boasted to the skinnier guy in front of him, "Let's play a game, Eiji-senpai! Me and you ["You and I", Fuji corrected in the background]. I've been sprucing up my dunk smash and I can't wait to try it on someone!" Momoshiro's purple eyes glinted in the sun.  
  
"Hoi, hoi! Ok, but I will win! You're going to have to buy me ice- cream ok?!"  
  
Momoshiro grinned wider. "That won't happen... it just won't."  
  
Kikumaru giggled at his younger friend's cockiness. He hopped towards the nearest empty court and yelled out to Fuji, "Bai bai, Fuji! I'll talk to you more later, nya?" Fuji only smiled.  
  
"Eiji-senpai! No ads, ok? That takes too long," Momoshiro complained.  
  
"Okaay!" 


	2. Acrobatics versus Power

Disclaimer: I don't own Prince of Tennis; they're owned by their respectful owner, Takeshi Konomi. Author's notes: Please read and enjoy. If you don't like it, kindly leave comments as to why not and what needs to be further fixed Arigatou gozaimasu.  
  
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"What's bothering you, Fuji?"  
  
Fuji pried his eyes away from the game going on between the power- house and the skinny acrobatics guy in front of him. True to his word, Momo is winning, 3-2 in his favor. "Aa, Oishi?"  
  
Oishi replied with a smile. "What's wrong?" he repeated as if he hadn't said it before.  
  
There was a long, uncomfortable silence that followed before Fuji finally answered, "Eiji."  
  
Oishi paused and looked at him questioningly. Eiji? What was wrong with Eiji? He looked over to the bouncy guy on the court, smiling and glowing brilliantly like nothing is wrong with the world. So what was Fuji talking about?  
  
"... He's failing his science class. If this continues, he'll be pulled out of tennis."  
  
"But I tutor him almost every time he has a test!"  
  
Fuji smiled. "I know; you're a great teacher. I've been tutoring him myself. I don't know what's going on. Maybe we were to soft and easy on him?"  
  
"... Maybe..." Oishi said, unsure. "What's going to happen now then?"  
  
"He said he's going to get some tutoring. Probably Sagashi-sensei; he's a good teacher. I hope Eiji does better, not just for the team, but for himself..."  
  
"Aa..."  
  
=:=  
  
"Duuuuhhhnn..." Momoshiro grunted out his favorite trademark sound as he aced his smash against Kikumaru for the tenth time since the match started. The score was now love-40, 5 games to 3 in Momoshiro's lead. He grinned at the look on Eiji's face.  
  
"Hoi, Momo! Stop it, that's annoying, nya!" Kikumaru yelled on his side of the court, clenching his left fist tight while the right hand pointed at his opponent in an accusing manner. "Duhn, duhn, duhn... I'm getting sick of it!"  
  
Momoshiro grinned wider, which made him look like a sadistic moron. "Eiji-senpai is just mad because I'm beating him."  
  
"Aaaghh!"  
  
"Eiji! Calm down!" came an approaching voice that sounded all too familiar. "It's just a friendly match, don't get mad at him over something like that."  
  
"Demo, Oishi! I' m losing, nya! How am I supposed to calm down?" Eiji whined to his doubles partner.  
  
Oishi smiled. "Remember, concentration is the key to win. If you're mad or frustrated, you will only lose your concentration and think about unnecessary stuff. Just relax... I'll be waiting for you in the next court, ok?" He walked away, contented on what he has done. Not just because he consoled his dear friend, but also because he was able to--well... get near him. He didn't know why, but he felt like bursting if he missed a day of getting near him and touching him... talking to him quietly like that... it's what makes his day. He turned around once he reached his spot and eyed Eiji.  
  
"Yosh! I want to play with Oishi already! Once I beat the crap out of you, Momo, I'll play doubles with Oishi and beat the crap out of Ochibi and you, again! Nyahahaha!" Eiji showed a cocky grin and threw the ball into the air to serve Momoshiro's match point.  
  
"Service ace! 15-40," yelled Horio, the annoying first year, who had begged to be Eiji and Momoshiro's referee.  
  
"N-nani? What was that? Eiji-senpai's serve got faster..." Momo whispered to himself. Whoops, another ball whizzed by him!  
  
"Service ace. 30-40!"  
  
"Kuso," he growled. Eiji's serves, as he had observedfrom the past two serves, had been deep. He knew just what to do. He moved a few steps back and bent his knees lower than usual. "I'm ready..." he thought.  
  
Kikumaru saw Momoshiro's adjustment and grinned.  
  
"Nani?! Kuso!" Momoshiro was forced to run forward as fast as he can as he saw the ball fall not more than 1 feet away from the net. It took all his energy just to reach it and lob it back.  
  
"Ah! Kikumaru-senpai!" the first years yelled. "He's up at the net already!"  
  
"That stance..." observed Fuji with blue fox-like eyes open. He smirked.  
  
"Dunk Smash-u!" (insert the song they always play... tuunununuuun tuunuuunnnnn) Kikumaru finished with a big cocky grin plastered in his face. Momoshiro on the other hand, was too stunned to move.  
  
"Deuce!"  
  
"Duuuuhhnnn..." Eiji knelt on the floor, arms crossed, making a (friendly) mockery out of Momo.  
  
"He's provoking him," Fuji chuckled, as if what was happening was something cute.  
  
"Kuso!" Momoshiro went back to his receiving place and muttered something under his breath.  
  
"Ready, Momo? Here I come!" Kikumaru hit the ball with his full power and ran up to the net to finish it off.  
  
Momoshiro clutched his racket tighter and closed his eyes for a split second to concentrate. "Dorya!" His adrenaline level skyrocketed and he willed himself to return Kikumaru's serve. He lobbed it high, very high, up to the point where even he himself, if he were the one receiving, would not be able to return it easily.  
  
"Agh!" Kikumaru bent down to give himself more momentum and kicked off the ground as high as he could.  
  
"Sugoi! He jumped so high, even higher than Momo-chan-senpai's jumps and got it!" exclaimed Katsuo. Tomoka and Sakuno squeeled in delight and admiration.  
  
"Eiji, that's very irresponsible!" Oishi, who had been watching on the other court, blurted out. "You won't be able to get his hit afterwards!"  
  
Momoshiro grinned and knew this; he hit the ball back with his full blown power away from Kikumaru.  
  
"Deta, Momo-chan-senpai's Jack knife!"  
  
Kikumaru's cat-like eyes squinted in sheer concentration while in mid- air and dived on to the floor, head-first. He used both his hand and the momentum from Momoshiro's hit to return the ball crosscourt from Momo.  
  
"Sugoi! He was able to get two hits in one jump!" Takashi Kawamura's voice came somewhere in the D-court. He had been playing a match against Echizen and was momentarily stunned at Kikumaru's playing style. Quite the same can be said for Echizen.  
  
"Ii deta..."  
  
The girls squeeled, the boys cheered, and the other club members mumbled in excitement.  
  
"Eiji is catching up, ne?"  
  
"Momo's on the bag." Oishi replied and looked at Fuji; they both laughed. 


End file.
